Woman desperate to find stolen laptop containing images of her late children

WATCH ABOVE: Laptop was stolen from Diane Wilson’s car, it had countless photographs and video of her two children, both had special needs, both passed away. Lama Nicolas has the details.

TORONTO — A Toronto woman is devastated after a laptop and hard drive containing roughly 27,000 photographs and videos of her late children has been stolen.

To make matters worse, she blames herself for the theft.

“I stopped breathing for a while,” said Diane Wilson. “I just couldn’t believe that I had done something so irresponsible. I don’t know. I just couldn’t believe it.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I stopped breathing for a while," said Diane Wilson. "I just couldn't believe that I had done something so irresponsible. I don't know. I just couldn't believe it."

Wilson was eating lunch at a restaurant Saturday, June 13, in the area of St. Clair Avenue West and Dufferin Street when her 15″ MacBook Pro and hard drive were stolen from her vehicle.

The theft occurred between 11:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. The items were in a silver, woven-fabric bag, when taken from a 2012, black, four-door Buick Verano parked on the north side of St. Clair Avenue West.

“I shouldn’t have left it in the car. I know that, I take responsibility for that,” said Wilson. She believes there is hope for recovering the files.

“I really truly believe they will not want to hold onto the data,” Wilson said.

The laptop contained photos and videos of daughter and son who both passed away at a young age from a degenerative disease. The missing items contained material for a book chronicling the children’s journey, including research and documents along with the images.

Police are asking for the public’s help in returning the files.

“Please come forward and do the right thing,” said Det. Jason Albanese. “I want to appeal to your human decency, and compassion.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Please come forward and do the right thing," said Det. Jason Albanese. "I want to appeal to your human decency, and compassion."

Albanese called the theft “opportunistic” said the criminal aspect of this case is secondary, with the recovery of the files the main focus of the investigation.

Wilson has offered a reward of $500 for the return of the laptop and hard drive, which has been matched by a member of the public since she went public with her story, boosting the reward to $1,000.